


There’s a little story I like to tell (about this little boy who came from hell)

by OnyxFang99



Category: Bandom, Palaye Royale (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - No Band, Dying in a hot tub au, Gen, I mean it's Palaye Royale what did u expect, Mermaids, Swearing, Transformation, or mermen whatever
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-11-12 05:50:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18005042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnyxFang99/pseuds/OnyxFang99
Summary: Three brothers are thrown off a boat to the deep depths beyond becoming beings that they never believed real.Mermen au somewhat based on the Dying In A Hot Tub music video.





	1. You find yourself trapped in a room with someone else

**Author's Note:**

> Why did I write this? I already have like three other fanfics that need updating. Don't expect these updates to be regular. Please don't expect that of me.

“It was only supposed to be a few days,” Remington quietly laments to himself.

 

A few days had turned into a few gruelling weeks as stowaways on a ship in the middle of the ocean. Stealing and rationing had become their life, hiding from the captain and his crew.

 

The ship had left a few hours ahead of schedule, leaving the three boys aboard while ransacking the blasted thing. Sebastian had assured them that they would sneak off when the ship stopped in a few days time for supplies but that never happened.

 

They haven’t been caught yet but their luck is bound to run out someday soon…

 

...and it looks like that day is today.

 

“Hey!”

 

_ Shit _

* * *

 

Sebastian has his hand clamped over Emerson's mouth, both of them trembling under the immense anxiety. From their admittedly shitty hiding spot under a table, they can hear the yells and hurried footsteps.

 

The pair wince as they see Remington’s familiar leather combat boots race across the wooden boards. A single look a Emersons face causes Sebastian to shake his head.

 

_ “We can’t let ourselves be seen” -  _ is his unspoken message communicated through only a single second of eye contact.

 

The brothers stiffen as two pairs of unfamiliar shoes creep into vision.

 

“Check around, he might not be alone,” says voice no.1, a male.

 

“Whatever,” voice no. 2, a woman, sounds annoyed.

 

Emerson is shaking beside his elder brother, identical fear creeping through his veins.

 

_ “What if they find us?” _

 

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Or more like ‘she’ shall appear because the female pirate is suddenly challenging him to a threatening staring contest.

 

“Look what we have here, now who might you be? Certainly not friends of that other boy,” she sneers down at them, her tough arms easily dragging the weak and malnourished Sebastian from under the table despite his struggle. He is stopped from a quick knife to the throat.

 

“Emmy run!” he screams as the knife-wielding pirate reaches out for the youngest Kropp sibling who is currently trying to get to his feet.

 

“I can’t just leave you here!”

 

“They’re over here!” The woman yells.

 

“I’ll be fine! Just go!”

 

Emerson hesitantly flees.

 

Sebastian knows that it’s only a matter of time before they’re all captured and killed but he desperately prays for the safety of his brothers as he is dragged away.

 

* * *

Emerson burns through the serenity of the lower decks, determined to get as far away as possible.

 

He runs despite his burning legs and his suffocating exhaustion. He runs for fear of his life, though he knows it will only prolong his inevitable demise. His breath hitches as he crumbles, his legs failing and leaving him a collapsed heap on the ground.

 

“Wow this one put up a good fight,” comes a familiar voice from behind.

 

“Aye aye Captain,” Emerson spits out at the man, a sarcastic quip as one last ‘fuck you’ to the Captain. He flips him off as he is slung over a crewmates shoulder like a ragdoll. 

 

_ Aye aye Captain, indeed. _

 

* * *

The three brothers huddle together, fear pulsing through their bodies as they make a futile attempt to protect each other from the monsters standing before them. Little Emerson is at the front shielding his two much bigger and older brothers. He puts on a brave face but everyone can see the way his lips tremble and his legs wobble. 

 

Sebastian stares right into the Captain’s eyes, just daring him to lay a finger on his little brothers but the older man’s gaze is fixed on the middle Kropp brother.

“Well it’s been fun kids, but you really must be going. Your parents must be worried about you,” the jab stings the boys, crushing their hope even more, “we should help you get back to them,” he nods at the female pirate who, with the help of another crewmate, pulls out the famed Wooden Plank. 

 

“So who’s up first, Cap?” The woman asks.

 

“Hmm,” the Captain looks over each of the brothers in turn. His eyes seem to catch on to Remington but before he could make a grab at the young man Emerson growls up at him.

 

“Oh looks like we have a volunteer,” the Captain grins at him as he drags Emerson over to the plank while the other two are held back.

 

“Emmy!” Comes Sebastian’s voice, muffled by a crewmember's hand.

 

“Sebastian! Remington!” Emerson is screaming back, anguish written on his face as his feet land on the piece of wood that will end his life.

 

“Throw him!” The lady taunts.

 

“No!” Remington screeches. 

 

Emerson is thrown off the boat into the freezing depths below. 


	2. Float downstream, your body lies next to me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All three brothers are underwater and find themselves changing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk why but I really like writing from Sebastian's pov.

“Emerson!” Remington screams.

 

“No,” Sebastian is whimpering, “this can’t be happening.”

 

The Captain stalks back up to them turning away from the female pirates sadistically joyful face and towards the two remaining brothers.

 

“Well then, who’s next,” he sizes them up. When neither dares make a move he glares, “tick-tock boys, we don’t have all day. I’ve still got a ship to run.”

 

The brothers remain silent.

 

“Fine.” The Captain reaches forward…

 

...and grabs Remington. The middle brother struggles harshly against the man, Sebastian trying his best to hold him back, determined not to lose another brother. But the pirates are easily able to pry his exhausted fingers away.

 

“Rem!”

 

“Sebastian!”

 

Remington feels cold engulf him.

 

* * *

 

_Emerson is floating in the abyss. It’s oddly calming. He looks up, the salty water no longer burning his eyes as he smiles and waits for his older brothers to join him._

 

* * *

 

When he opens his eyes, Emerson is nowhere to be seen. Remington swims to the surface against the currents pulling downwards.

 

Once he resurfaces he witnesses the horrifying sight of his older brother kicking and biting against the Captain himself.

 

“Fuck you!” Are the last words the blonde hears his brother say before they both lose the battle. Remington against the water, and Sebastian against the Captain before being thrown off the ship.

 

Remington searches around him, making eye-contact with Sebastian while searching for their little brother who he can’t quite spot. He looks beneath himself and sees a blurry mess of red before his leg is grabbed and he is suffocating.

 

* * *

 

From the second Sebastian feels his body enter the cold water, he knows he’s dead. There is no surviving this.

 

_Shit shit shit shitshitshitshi-_

 

He opens his eyes, the salt water stinging and glimpses what looks like Remington. Looking around in hopes of finding Emerson, missing Remingtons look of horror as he looks down.

 

When Sebastian turns back Remington is gone.

 

Running out of air, Sebastian forces his legs to pull him to the surface, giving him a few seconds of breath and clarity before he is sucked under again.

 

He searches around but is still unsuccessful in finding his brothers and before he knows it, he is need of air again. This time it’s even harder to escape, his legs begging for him to stop.

 

Under. Search. Air. Repeat

 

Sebastian repeats this cycle several times before he can’t quite reach the surface and instead, his lungs fill with salt water.

 

_Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuc-_

 

His natural instinct is to choke it out which backfires instantly. The brunet clutches his throat, rapidly filling with water, and reflects on all the shit he didn’t do. Fear snakes its way through the water.

 

Sebastian’s leg is suddenly grabbed causing him to look down to a blurry black and white figure.

 

_Remington?_

 

It is him.

 

_Remington, what are you doing?_

 

Remington starts to pull him below causing Sebastian to panic and kick around, trying to free himself.

 

_Remington, what the fuck are you doing?!_

 

His hands try their best to pull him upwards to safety but his exhaustion proves his struggle futile.

 

All thoughts of escape leave his head as he feels his entire body burn despite the freezing ocean. His legs, torso, hands, fingers, neck, ears, and especially his eyes. His hands are immediately clawing at his face as salty tears mix with the saltier water and he lets out a scream into the void.

 

“Let me go!” He yells through drowning. But his voice lands on deaf ears as pain slices through him. His eyes are pinned shut and his hands have moved upwards to be clenched in his chocolate hair.

 

_I’m dying. I’m dying. What do I do? I can’t- I couldn’t even save my brothers._

 

Darkness caves in on him and he knows this is it.

 

…

 

As if a switch had been pulled, Sebastian can finally breathe and is free of pain again.

 

A thought crosses his mind - _Am I dead?_

 

_No, I can’t be dead._

 

_No!_

 

Everything is still cold. But he finds himself not minding it as much.

 

Unbeknownst to him, Remington had swum up so that he is eye level with his brother. The younger Kropp speaks.

 

“Sebby,” his voice is calm and comforting - too comforting-, “you can open your eyes now.”

 

_No._

 

“Come on Sebastian,” Remington _(maybe? I don’t know)_ sounds concerned at the lack of answer, “please look at me.”

 

_Rem…_

 

Sebastian hesitantly lets his hands fall to his sides, slowly opening his eyes to see his younger brother staring expectantly at him.

 

To his shock, his brother has changed quite considerably in appearance. His eyes are surrounded by glittery dark eyeshadow, extending to his ears which have changed to dark fins, contrasting deeply with his bleached blonde hair. His neck is adorned with gills _(gills!?)_ which are breathing in and out. Remington’s hands are webbed and appear as if they were dipped in charcoal, the dark grey fading into his skin. Most shockingly is the tail replacing his normal pair of legs, a similar colour to the rest of his new additions.

 

“Rem?” Sebastian is surprised to be able to speak (and breathe) normally, considering their current circumstances, “what the hell is going on?”

 

Remington gestures to the gills on his neck causing Sebastian’s hands to go flying up to his own throat. Before they can even make contact he catches something and is left staring at his now silvery and webbed hands. _What the fuck?_

 

As Sebastian’s newly sparkly hands check his neck, feeling the slits of gills there, he finally gathers the courage to look down and his suspicions are confirmed when he is greeted with a magnificent silver tail.

 

“What the fuck?” He looks back up at Remington who is studying him. The younger man merely shrugs at the question.

 

“I don’t know either honestly,” the blonde frowns, “it’s almost like we’re mer-”

 

Sebastian cuts him off, “don’t you fucking say it.” He has a thought, “where’s Emerson?”

 

“Oh shit,” Remington groans. He’d obviously been too caught up in their transformations that he forgot that Emerson was missing.

 

“Emerson?” Sebastian calls out.

 

“Oh fuckity fuck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry there'll be hopefully more Emerson next chap.


	3. I have tried to, but now I am someone else

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emerson reminisces on his transformation while Remington and Sebastian continue their search.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to come out.

_“The fuck is that?”_

 

_Emerson’s first thought isn’t “Holy shit!” or “I’m gonna die.” No, it’s an exclamation of awed disbelief at the shiny object floating in the water. An object he can’t take his eyes off of._

 

_He swims towards it and upon closer inspection, it seems to be a silver gemstone._

 

**_What the fuck?_ **

 

_Emerson catches it in his small hand and studies it, the stone reflecting the tiny amount of sunlight streaming from the surface._

 

_In his awe, he forgets his struggle with breathing, not caring about anything else but the gem. He doesn’t even feel his body starting to burn, too focused, he refuses to break eye-contact._

 

_Even as his eyes sting he is unable to remove his gaze. At this moment Emerson is unable to care about anything else._

 

_He only stops when he sees his hand stained a pinky-red as it clutches the stone. The youngest brother pulls up his other hand and realises it matches the first, including the beautiful webbing._

 

_Emerson’s gaze of wonder is broken by the sudden splash above. A glance tells him it’s Remington._

 

_“Rem!” He calls, not questioning how he can speak (or breathe) - hell he’s seen enough weird shit today that it seems as if nothing can faze him now._

 

_Sadly his brother can’t hear him so Emerson instead decides to do the first thing to come to mind._

 

_As soon as Remington looks down in shock, he grabs his leg and pulls._

 

* * *

 

“Emmy?” Sebastian screams, eyes frantically bouncing around. He turns to his brother, “where was he? You were the last one to see him!”

 

“I don’t know,” he’s shaking, even though the imminent fear of drowning has all but died.

 

“What happened when you last saw him?” The oldest sibling is stricken with worry.

 

“Well…”

 

* * *

 

**_Emerson?_ **

 

_The blurry figure is definitely his little brother, but he seems to be cloaked in a pinky-red that Remington can’t quite identify._

 

_His younger brother stares up at his shocked face for a beat before grabbing his leg and tugging him down._

 

**_What the fuck Emerson._ **

 

_He kicks and claws at the webbed hand curled around his ankle._

 

**_Wait…_ **

 

**_...webbed._ **

 

_Suddenly he’s face to face with what may or may not be Emerson. He only sees him for a mere few seconds before he’s forced to shut his eyes due to the pain._

 

_The next few moments feel like aeons of agony before he can breathe again. He examines his newly altered hands before glancing up to where Sebastian is struggling above him._

 

_Emerson has disappeared again but he realizes that his elder brother is in more danger right now._

 

**_I’m really sorry Sebby, but I have to do this._ **

 

* * *

 

“Captain!”

 

“Yeah?” Daniel turns away from the sea spotting a crewmate sprinting across the deck to reach him.

 

“Another ship just threw people off the boat.”

 

“Poor things…” Daniel mutters to himself before locking eyes with the other sailor, “how many?”

 

“Luis said he saw three. I-I don’t think he saw what they looked like,” the crewmate trembles underneath the captain’s gaze.

 

He thought to himself for a few seconds before his head snapped back up with a grin.

 

“Go after the ship!”

 

“What?!” The crewmate is shocked.

 

“You heard me,” Daniel dashes forward, “now then. Let’s get ready to kick some pirate ass!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like our bois have some new allies


End file.
